The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-03
CONQUERED AND coNoUeReRS'
The Contempt In which the Arabs OF Al
~,, rtold Their French Rulers.


A, that balI. rs during the whole Of my
stay in Algeria, nothing ns'on's.ieu ii0
more than the evident contempt enter
tanned by the conquered for the conquer
ere; but they seem inclined 70 make no
effort TO throw off the yoke. II Il as II
they felt that they were conquered, noe "
.he French. but by some ineVitaoie la'c
10 whose decree they must bow WIN uh-
questioning submission. On the other
bond the efforts which the French MAKE
IN conciliate the Arabs are almost AFFECT
In the fervor Of their humility. mat
evening if one Of the sheiks condescehued
10 stroll into the ball room halI uuIeh
official personages advanced TO Did MIN
welcome. the governor ana ms Wile over
whelmed him with attention ana speciai
officer was told of TO walk by ms sue
and give him any information he might
require. If this were done in the nope OF
exciting gratitude il was labor m Nalui
the shcik received the advances OF MS en-
tertainers with stately courtesy, OUT EVIL
dertly REGARDED all hOmagcas his just oue'
Nor il il only IN the palace that this eX-
traordinary inversion of the usual rela-
tionship between the conquered and the
conuuerors exists; in the streets, pubic
assemblies. everywhere, the same Efforts
are made bv the French officials 20 avoid
all cause Of ofTcnse The gendarmerie
and the soldiers are literally hidden away
i'm dark hooks and caves, lest their pres
ence should wound the suscepuDniues Oh
the native race: and on the few occasions
when they must necessarily be brought
10 the fore apparently they receive pri-
vate instructions that the Arabs are not
20 be subjected TO any Of those petty
tyrannies which il so delights the soul OF
a French official 10 practice on his own
cOuntrymen.
An amusing instance Of this occurred no
the Algiers races, few days after the
ball \ part Of the ground near the grand
stand was surrounded by red cord, as a
sign that the public was excluded
Through some misunderstanding motley
crowd of Europeans broke down the red
cord and crowded into the reserved space.
The gendarmes. bristling with fury, rode
into their midst. and, striking right and
eft with perfectly unnecessary violence
drove The people away. Some half hour
later the same thing occrwcd. again the
red cord fell. and n crowd took possession
'of the reserved ground; but this time the
crowd was Arab, evidently Of the poorest
lass. but still Arab. / expected rcpe-
ttion of the former scene, but TO my as
constituent one gendarme looked ut an
other. he made a sign to third, who
ooked for directions 10 fourth; but no
one vcntured 10 address the intruders.
At length some official Of importance
was sent for. and after considerable de
lay. hesitation and consultation this per-
son did summon sufficient courage 10 ride
up 10 the inclOsure; bur, far from there
being any signs OF the violence and abuse
10 which the Europeans had been sub
iected. he bowed 10 the Arabs as If they
were sovereign princes and he the most
lowly Of their subjects. In the biaudcst
If tones be apol0gized for disturbing them,
and entered into the most elaborate cX-
planai ION Of the why and wherefore of the
case but all his prayers and cntreaties
were i'm vain The Arabs listened TO what
he said with a courtesy equal 90 bis owns
the siaid gravity of their faces never re-
taxed, but move they would not, and did
not. and 40 length the officer rode away
with a gesture of despair. and gave orders
that they were TO be left IN possession Of
'he ground.-All the Year Round.